The Brewers head out on the road again to conclude the month of August and start in Charlotte where they will take on the 3rd place Sting for three games, starting with a rare Wednesday doubleheader.
In the opening game the Brewers continue their hot hitting and solid pitching to get a 7-1 win. Apparently, rumors of Chad Brown's demise were premature. Boy has he been hitting well lately and in this one he went 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored, 4 RBI, and hit 2 doubles to get to 24 for the season. Harry Lyerly wasn't always sharp, including loading the bases on walks with two outs in the 3rd inning, but he nearly always managed to work out of trouble in this one, allowing just 1 run on 7 hits and 5 walks (striking out 4) in 6 innings pitched. He got the win to improve to 9-9 with a 4.00 ERA. Jordan Stephens pitched the last 3 innings for his 11th save with a 2.71 ERA. Bobby Erbakan (.335/.400/.536) went 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI and picked up his 15th stolen base of the season (with 5 CS.)
There are those games where immediately afterward the manager has to raise his hand high and say, hey, sorry guys. That one's on me. The night-cap to this doubleheader was one of those games. The Sting aren't a great offensive team but if there is one thing they like it's facing a left-handed starter. Almost everyone in their lineup bats from the right side. But the Brewers manager (that's me) didn't plan ahead well and was forced to start lefty Erik Sloan in the night-cap. And with Jalen Cotton on the mound for Charlotte this was not a good recipe for success. Cotton is a fine young starter but he's even much better generally when facing the Brewers. So naturally, the Sting jump out to an early lead which they stretch 9-0 by the end of the 3rd inning. It is only because the Brewers have such great hitters and never stop battling that the final score was 9-7. They were trying to the end, but it was just too big a hill to climb. Sloan falls to 12-7 with a 3.77 ERA after giving up 9 runs on 14 hits in 5 1/3rd innings. Bobby Erbakan had 1 hit in the game but it was his 30th double and he drove in 3 runs to get to 112 RBI. (Erbakan's 92 RBI last season was by far his best season total to date. Obviously he is blowing that number away this season.)
In the series rubber match the Brewers got a fine start from Steve Green and it looked like they would claim another series victory as they held a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the 8th inning. And then things fell apart. It started small, really. Green got the first out of the inning. And then it appeared he got the second. Except Mike Foster flubbed an easy ground ball out and the Sting had a runner. Former Brewer Ruben Souffront followed with a single. But when Green got the next batter to hit into a fielder's choice for the second out it seemed like things might work out fine. Jose Gutierrez, one of the best young center fielders in the game not named Joe McPhillips, then singled home the first run for the Sting. No problem. The Brewers still had a 2-run lead and 2 outs in the 8th. And Jaden Francis, who has been spectacular this season, coming to the mound out of the bullpen. First batter he faces works a full count, then singles. 3-2 Brewers, bases full of Sting. And pinch-hitter Blake Reese, ever dangerous, comes up to face Francis. Jaden gets him to hit a weak grounder to the mound. Jubilation. But no! In his hurry to make the third out and hold onto the lead Jaden muffs it. Tying run scores, inning continues. And at that point let's stop with the play-by-play. Suffice it to say, it was all downhill from there. Sting score 5 runs in the inning and hold on to win 5-3 and take the series. Jaden Francis takes the loss and falls to 3-4 with 1.76 ERA. Can't blame any of this on Chad Brown though. Brown (.316/.337/.428) was 2 for 4 and hit 2 doubles to get to 26 for the season. John Flores (.342/.380/.602) only had 1 hit but it was his 7th HR. And Andrew Kennedy (.339/.376/.433) remains hot, going 2 for 4 and hitting his 25th double.
And the Brewers get lucky as Brooklyn has also lost 2 in a row to keep our lead at 8 1/2 games. The Sting get to 12 1/2 back with the Baltimore Lords skipping over L.A. to get to 14 1/2. Poor L.A. is now 15 1/2 back and, in spite of their amazing starting rotation, likely toast.